Editing Leek, Netherlands

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                            = Leek
| native_name                     = {{native name|gos|De Laik}}
| settlement_type                 = Town and former municipality
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->| image_skyline                   = Borg Nienoord.jpg
| image_alt                       = 
| image_caption                   = Nienoord castle
| image_flag                      = Flag of Leek.svg
| flag_size                       = 100x67px
| flag_alt                        = 
| image_shield                    = Leek wapen.svg
| shield_size                     = 100x80px
| shield_alt                      = <!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map                       = Map - NL - Municipality code 0022 (2009).svg
| map_alt                         = Highlighted position of Leek in a municipal map of Groningen
| map_caption                     = Location in Groningen
| coordinates                     = {{coord|53|10|N|6|23|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes           = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Netherlands}}
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|Groningen}}
| subdivision_type2       = Municipality
| subdivision_name2       = [[File:Westerkwartier vlag.svg|23px]] [[Westerkwartier (municipality)|Westerkwartier]]
| pushpin_map                     = Netherlands Groningen#Netherlands
| pushpin_label_position          = 
| pushpin_mapsize                 = 250
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands
| extinct_title                   = Merged
| extinct_date                    = 2019
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref                       = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="stat"/>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2                  = 6.17
| area_land_km2                   = 
| area_water_km2                  = 
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |title=Postcodetool for 9351BJ 
 |language=Dutch 
 |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland 
 |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis 
 |accessdate=23 January 2014 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |archivedate=21 September 2013 
}}</ref>
| elevation_m                     = 2
| elevation_max_footnotes         = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m                 = 
| elevation_min_footnotes         = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m                 = <!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes            = <ref name="stat">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/-/media/_excel/2021/48/kwb-2021.xls |title=Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 |website=Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=7 March 2022}}</ref>
| population_total                = 11,175
| population_as_of                = 2021
| population_density_km2          = auto
| population_demonym              = Leekster
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone1                       = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1                     = +1
| timezone1_DST                   = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST                 = +2
| postal_code_type                = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code                     = 9350–9351<ref name="stat"/>
| area_code_type                  = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code                       = 0594<ref>{{cite web|url=https://postcodebijadres.nl/9351 |title=Postcode 9351 in Leek|website=Postcode bij adres |access-date=9 April 2022 |language=nl}}</ref>
| website                         = 
| footnotes                       = 
| official_name                   = 
}}
[[Image:Gem-Leek-OpenTopo.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Duch topographic map of the municipality of Leek, Groningen, as per June 2015]]
'''Leek''' ({{IPA|nl|leːk|lang|Nl-Leek.oga}}; {{langx|gos|De Laik}}; {{langx|fy|De Like}}) is a [[village]] and former municipality in [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] province in the northeastern [[Netherlands]]. The municipality, which bordered the [[Drenthe]] and [[Friesland]] provinces, was merged into the municipality of [[Westerkwartier (municipality)|Westerkwartier]] on 1 January 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/onze-diensten/methoden/classificaties/overig/gemeentelijke-indelingen-per-jaar/indeling%20per%20jaar/gemeentelijke-indeling-op-1-januari-2019 |title=Gemeentelijke indeling op 1 januari 2019 |language=Dutch |work=[[Statistics Netherlands|CBS]] |accessdate=30 November 2019}}</ref>

The village of Leek is approximately 20&nbsp;km west of [[Groningen (city)]] on the [[A7 motorway (Netherlands)|A7]] ([[European route|E22]]) [[highway]].

The village grew around a [[fortification]] that was constructed during the [[Eighty Years' War]] with [[Spain]]. The name 'Leek' was derived from a brook, the "Leke". The town is sometimes also called "''De Leek''". In [[Dutch language|Dutch]], the people from Leek are called "''Leeksters''".

Every year around [[Pentecost]] there is a [[fair]] (''Pinkstermarkt''), drawing thousands of people from the area.

Near the village is a shallow [[lake]], the [[Leekstermeer]] (also known as ''Zulthermeer''), with [[recreation]]al facilities, but the lake is in another municipality and in another [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]].

== Attractions in Leek ==
<gallery widths="250px" heights="150px" mode="packed">
Borg van Nienoord (1525-1850).jpg|Nienoord before its destruction in 1850
Midwolde (1391760487).jpg|Church of [[Midwolde]]
Midwolde2.jpg|Tomb monument of [[Anna van Ewsum]] and Carel Hieronymus von In- und Knyphausen, in the church of Midwolde
Tolbert feb03.jpg|Church of [[Tolbert, Netherlands|Tolbert]]
</gallery>
The main attraction in the village is the "[[Nienoord]]" [[estate (house)|estate]]. The estate was founded in 1508. After a destroying fire, a new manor-house was built in 1887. The gardens and the [[Shell Grotto, Nienoord|shell grotto]] were restored.

The National [[Carriage]] [[Museum]] is located in this manor-house. In 1958 the National Carriage Museum rented the house and gardens. The National Carriage Museum presents an overall view of the various types of carriages and [[sleigh]]s from the 18th to the 20th century. The 250 coaches in the museum's collection were used by farmers, the common man, noblemen and royalty.

In the estate is situated a recreation park (Family-park Nienoord) with [[Rail transport modelling|model railways]] in several scales, including [[live steam]].

In [[Tolbert, Netherlands|Tolbert]] and [[Midwolde]] are churches from the 12th century. The churches are built in the [[Romano-Gothic]] style. Typical for this style are the walls and gables of brick that are richly decorated with recesses and patterns of bricks.

In the church of Midwolde is a tomb monument sculpted by [[Rombout Verhulst]]. Rombout Verhulst also decorated the tomb of [[Michiel de Ruyter]] in the [[Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)|Nieuwe Kerk]] in [[Amsterdam]].

== Population centres ==
[[Enumatil]], Leek, [[Lettelbert]], [[Midwolde]], [[Oostwold, Westerwartier|Oostwold]], [[Tolbert, Netherlands|Tolbert]] and {{ill|Zevenhuizen, Leek|nl|Zevenhuizen (Westerkwartier)|lt=Zevenhuizen}}.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline|Leek, Groningen}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Westerkwartier}}

<!--Please note that not all directions need to be filled-->
<!--Please note that preferably only neighboring municipalities or bodies of water should be used-->
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Leek
|North     = [[Grootegast]], [[Zuidhorn]]
|Northeast = [[Groningen]]
|East      = 
|Southeast = [[Noordenveld]]&nbsp;([[Drenthe|DR]])
|South     = 
|Southwest = [[Opsterland]]&nbsp;([[Friesland|FR]])
|West      = [[Marum]]
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Dutch municipality Westerkwartier}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Westerkwartier]]
[[Category:Westerkwartier (municipality)]]
[[Category:Former municipalities of Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Groningen (province)]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2019]]